Premarital counseling as perceived by newlywed couples: an exploratory study

Area of Science:

• Family Studies
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Premarital counseling is crucial for preparing couples for marriage.
• Understanding factors influencing its perceived effectiveness is vital for program improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the perceived effectiveness of premarital counseling.
• To identify key factors (e.g., duration, voluntariness, courtship length) influencing effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 10 newlywed couples and 68 high school family life course graduates.
• Data collected on involvement and perceptions of premarital counseling effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Perceived effectiveness correlated positively with counseling duration (hours).
• Voluntary participation significantly enhanced perceived effectiveness.
• Courtship duration did not show a consistent relationship with effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Premarital counseling effectiveness is influenced by program structure and participant perception.
• Recommendations for program design emphasize longer, voluntary sessions.
• Future research should utilize larger, diverse samples for broader insights.